Jose Fernandez Once Saw A Boy Crying, So He Came Over To Him And Asked Him For His Autograph
There have been some sad stories that have come out since Jose Fernandez’s untimely and tragic death this past Sunday that I just didn’t feel like covering, like the bag of baseballs that were all signed by Jose that washed ashore on Monday. This story is sad enough as it is without having to add more sadness on top of it. But there have been a LOT of heartwarming stories that have come out since his passing, like Dee Gordon’s home run on Monday night, the pregame ceremony that the Marlins held, their tribute to Jose after the game, Aledmys Diaz visiting Jose’s family and then returning to the Cardinals to hit a grand slam on Tuesday night, and that story that a fan shared with me about how they met Jose, and he gave them the exact amount of money that they needed to pay their vet bill for their dog that just had surgery, which Jose insisted that they take.
Then, there’s this. As the Instagram user describes, “A few months ago, Jose saw this boy cry. Jose went over to him and asked him for his autograph.” It almost makes me mad that I didn’t appreciate him more while I had the chance. Don’t get me wrong, I watched him pitch every time that I noticed his name as a probable starter for the Marlins this year, and I wrote about him as often as I could from a baseball standpoint, but I wish that I took the time to know more about Jose Fernandez the human being while he was still here. I’m doing that now, and each story impresses me more than the one before it. While I enjoyed the hell out of watching him on the mound, I will admire him most for stories like these.